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Citation
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Caetano R, Vaeth PAC, Gruenewald PJ, Ponicki WR, Kaplan ZB, Annechino R. Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: About 30% of all motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. are associated with alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes. Arrests for drinking and driving (DUI) are one of the most important deterrence actions to minimize DUI. This paper examines trends and population-level correlates of drinking driving arrests (DUI) from 2005 to 2017 in California
METHODS: Arrest data come from the Monthly Arrest and Citation Register (MACR) compiled by the California Department of Justice. Sociodemographic and community characteristics data from the U.S. Census, alcohol outlet density, and distance to the U.S. Mexico border from LERA centroids were aggregated at the level of 499 Law Enforcement Reporting Areas (LERA) contributing to the report. Reported arrest rates were related to area sociodemographic characteristics using hierarchical Bayesian Poisson space-time models.
RESULTS: Both among men and women rates showed an upward trend until 2008, decreasing after that year. DUI arrest rates were greater among Hispanics than Whites for the two younger age groups, 18-29 (p<.001) and 30-39 years (p<.001). DUI arrest rates in LERA areas are positively related to proximity to the California/Mexico border, a higher percent of bar/pub outlets, a higher percent of Hispanic population, a higher percent of population 18-29, 30-39, and 40-49 years of age, a higher percent of US-born population, a higher percent of population with annual income of $100,000 or more, a higher percent of population 150% below the federal poverty line, and a higher level of law enforcement activities.
CONCLUSIONS: Results of this analysis of spatial correlates of DUI arrests overlap well with the literature on individual level data and arrest rates. The decrease in arrest rates as distance to the California/Mexico border increases is potentially associated with the greater availability of alcohol in the border area.
Language: en |